jersey_emt
Member
- :
- 04 MSM #1089
The Mazdaspeed Miata comes with 17" wheels from the factory, and when I damaged three of them in a NJ construction zone, I replaced them with aftermarket 17" wheels -- the ASA AR1. In black with a polished lip.
Since then, I've damaged several of these wheels, one at a time, because the roads around here are simply too bad for the 215/40/17 tires.
Two weeks ago I hit yet another pothole and damaged yet another rim. (I hit this one while attempting to avoid another, even bigger, pothole).
At that point, I was simply tired of all the bulls*** and expense of having 17" rims with very low-profile tires in this area of the country with its crappy roads. The fact that both the factory and the ASA 17" rims are quite heavy also made me unhappy.
I just purchased a set of lightweight 15" wheels through Flyin' Miata / Tire Rack. OZ Ultraleggera in 'Matte Graphite Silver'.
The 15" wheel is rather stylish, low-cost, looks bigger than it actually is due to the spokes going out to the edge, and weighs only 12 lbs! Flyin' Miata had a package with Kumho Ecsta SPT tires. However, Kumho discontinued the Ecsta SPT in the size I wanted (205/50/15), so after talking with both Flyin' Miata and Tire Rack, I went with the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 in 205/50/15.
Here are the wheels I picked up (OZ Ultraleggera in Matte Graphite Silver):
And the tires (Dunlop Direzza DZ101, click the photo for TireRack's info page):
The package was shipped today (07/11/2007) from Newark, Delaware and should be arriving tomorrow or Friday (07/12/2007 or 07/13/2007). I'll post up pics as soon as the package arrives and I get them on my 2004 Titanium Grey MSM!
I can't wait! I know that I am trading some 'good looks' by going with 15" wheels, but the improved handling, acceleration, and braking, as well as the durability of having a smaller wheel in a pothole and bad-road-infested area will be well worth it!!
Since then, I've damaged several of these wheels, one at a time, because the roads around here are simply too bad for the 215/40/17 tires.
Two weeks ago I hit yet another pothole and damaged yet another rim. (I hit this one while attempting to avoid another, even bigger, pothole).
At that point, I was simply tired of all the bulls*** and expense of having 17" rims with very low-profile tires in this area of the country with its crappy roads. The fact that both the factory and the ASA 17" rims are quite heavy also made me unhappy.
I just purchased a set of lightweight 15" wheels through Flyin' Miata / Tire Rack. OZ Ultraleggera in 'Matte Graphite Silver'.
The 15" wheel is rather stylish, low-cost, looks bigger than it actually is due to the spokes going out to the edge, and weighs only 12 lbs! Flyin' Miata had a package with Kumho Ecsta SPT tires. However, Kumho discontinued the Ecsta SPT in the size I wanted (205/50/15), so after talking with both Flyin' Miata and Tire Rack, I went with the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 in 205/50/15.
Here are the wheels I picked up (OZ Ultraleggera in Matte Graphite Silver):
And the tires (Dunlop Direzza DZ101, click the photo for TireRack's info page):
The package was shipped today (07/11/2007) from Newark, Delaware and should be arriving tomorrow or Friday (07/12/2007 or 07/13/2007). I'll post up pics as soon as the package arrives and I get them on my 2004 Titanium Grey MSM!
I can't wait! I know that I am trading some 'good looks' by going with 15" wheels, but the improved handling, acceleration, and braking, as well as the durability of having a smaller wheel in a pothole and bad-road-infested area will be well worth it!!
